This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1983.
Events March — In a span of two days, two major cable networks signed on the air. Country Music Television (CMT) went on-the-air March 5, while The Nashville Network (TNN) came on two days later on March 7. CMT (originally called "CMTV") was chiefly video-oriented, while TNN offered more feature-oriented programming.
Top hits of the year
Singles released by American artists USCANSingleArtist1923After the Great DepressionRazzy Bailey10—After the Last GoodbyeGus Hardin727Ain't No Trick (It Takes Magic)Lee Greenwood133All My LifeKenny Rogers2016Almost Called Her Baby by MistakeLarry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers41Amarillo by MorningGeorge Strait112American MadeThe Oak Ridge Boys1717Anybody Else's Heart but MineTerri Gibbs9—Atlanta Burned Again Last NightAtlanta4—Baby I LiedDeborah Allen11Baby, What About YouCrystal Gayle21The BirdJerry Reed11Black SheepJohn Anderson2025Born to Love MeRay Charles187The Boy Gets AroundSylvia104Breakin' DownWaylon Jennings1018C.C. WaterbackMerle Haggard/George Jones1—Can't Even Get the BluesReba McEntire17—A Child of the FiftiesThe Statler Brothers11The Closer You GetAlabama11Common ManJohn Conlee1512The ConversationWaylon Jennings with Hank Williams, Jr.939Dance Little JeanNitty Gritty Dirt Band11—Dixie DreamingAtlanta11Dixieland DelightAlabama922Don't Count the Rainy DaysMichael Martin Murphey11Don't You Know How Much I Love YouRonnie Milsap1311Down on the CornerJerry Reed910Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)Lacy J. Dalton18—Everybody's Dream GirlDan Seals75Everything's Beautiful in Its Own WayDolly Parton and Willie Nelson19—Eyes of a StrangerDavid Wills11Faking LoveT. G. Sheppard and Karen Brooks10—Feel RightTanya Tucker12A Fire I Can't Put OutGeorge Strait48Flight 309 to TennesseeShelly West2020Fly Into LoveCharly McClain11Fool for Your LoveMickey Gilley48Foolin'Johnny Rodriguez57Goin' Down HillJohn Anderson11Going Where the Lonely GoMerle Haggard44Gonna Go Huntin' TonightHank Williams, Jr.1939A Good Night's LoveTammy Wynette1631Good Ole BoysJerry Reed916GuiltyThe Statler Brothers95Hangin' AroundThe Whites11He's a Heartache (Looking for a Place to Happen)Janie Fricke63Heartache TonightConway Twitty21Hey BartenderJohnny Lee11Highway 40 BluesRicky Skaggs207Hold On, I'm Comin'Waylon Jennings & Jerry Reed12Holding Her and Loving YouEarl Thomas Conley102Honkytonk ManMarty Robbins11Houston (Means I'm One Day Closer to You)Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers616How Could I Love Her So MuchJohnny Rodriguez64I.O.U.Lee Greenwood16I Always Get Lucky with YouGeorge Jones103I Don't Remember Loving YouJohn Conlee23I Have Loved You Girl (But Not Like This Before)Earl Thomas Conley43I Love Her MindThe Bellamy Brothers17—I Love How You Love MeGlen Campbell19—I Still Love You in the Same Ol' WayMoe Bandy20—I Wish I Was in NashvilleMel McDaniel814I WonderRosanne Cash1010I Wonder Where We'd Be TonightVern Gosdin914I Wonder Who's Holding My Baby TonightThe Whites11I Wouldn't Change You If I CouldRicky Skaggs51I'm Movin' OnEmmylou Harris12I'm Only in It for the LoveJohn Conlee11If Hollywood Don't Need You (Honey I Still Do)Don Williams19—If It Was EasyEd Bruce539If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right)Vern Gosdin1010In the Middle of the NightMel Tillis46In Times Like TheseBarbara Mandrell11InsideRonnie Milsap11Islands in the StreamKenny Rogers with Dolly Parton14—It Hasn't Happened YetRosanne Cash2919The JoggerBobby Bare11Jose CuervoShelly West11Lady Down on LoveAlabama21Last Thing I Needed First Thing This MorningWillie Nelson67Leave Them Boys AloneHank Williams, Jr.1027Let's Get Over Them TogetherMoe Bandy (featuring Becky Hobbs)21Like Nothing Ever HappenedSylvia1020Little Old Fashioned KarmaWillie Nelson1513Lonely But Only for YouSissy Spacek13(Lost His Love) On Our Last DateEmmylou Harris21Lost in the FeelingConway Twitty55Lost My Baby BluesDavid Frizzell1118Love AffairsMichael Martin Murphey11Love is On a RollDon Williams527The Love She Found in MeGary Morris11Love SongThe Oak Ridge Boys31A Love SongKenny Rogers14Lucille (You Won't Do Your Daddy's Will)Waylon Jennings17—The Man in the MirrorJim Glaser62Marina del ReyGeorge Strait511Midnight FireSteve Wariner73More and MoreCharley Pride20—Movin' TrainThe Kendalls2313My Baby Don't Slow DanceJohnny Lee633My First Taste of TexasEd Bruce9—My Lady Loves Me (Just As I Am)Leon Everette16New Looks from an Old LoverB. J. Thomas11Night GamesCharley Pride21Nobody but YouDon Williams226Oh Baby Mine (I Get So Lonely)The Statler Brothers11One of a Kind Pair of FoolsBarbara Mandrell1242Only If There Is Another YouMoe Bandy11Our Love Is on the FaultlineCrystal Gayle18—Outside Lookin' InBandana15—Over YouLane Brody11Pancho and LeftyWillie Nelson and Merle Haggard11Paradise TonightCharly McClain and Mickey Gilley1011PersonallyRonnie McDowell12—Poor Side of TownJoe Stampley2013Potential New BoyfriendDolly Parton19—Precious LoveThe Kendalls56Queen of My HeartHank Williams, Jr.67Reasons to QuitMerle Haggard and Willie Nelson42The RideDavid Allan Coe11The RoseConway Twitty62Save MeLouise Mandrell54Scarlet FeverKenny Rogers156Shadows on My MindLeon Everette1510Shame on the MoonBob Seger38Shine On (Shine All Your Sweet Love on Me)George Jones19—Shot Full of LoveNitty Gritty Dirt Band1719Singing the BluesGail Davies53SnapshotSylvia2814So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)Emmylou Harris12Somebody's Gonna Love YouLee Greenwood96Sometimes I Get Lucky and ForgetGene Watson69Sounds Like LoveJohnny Lee317Still Taking ChancesMichael Martin Murphey51Stranger in My HouseRonnie Milsap1515Strong WeaknessThe Bellamy Brothers14Swingin'John Anderson13Talk to MeMickey Gilley11Tell Me a LieJanie Fricke21Tennessee WhiskeyGeorge Jones324Thank God for KidsThe Oak Ridge Boys112'Til I Gain Control AgainCrystal Gayle10—Today My World Slipped AwayVern Gosdin1026Too Hot to SleepLouise Mandrell45Touch Me (I'll Be Your Fool Once More)Tom Jones931Velvet ChainsGary Morris53Way Down DeepVern Gosdin11We've Got TonightKenny Rogers and Sheena Easton32What Am I Gonna Do (With the Rest of My Life)Merle Haggard18—What I Learned from Loving YouLynn Anderson53What She Don't Know Won't Hurt HerGene Watson11Whatever Happened to Old-Fashioned LoveB. J. Thomas15When I'm Away from YouThe Bellamy Brothers16—When You're Not a LadyJim Glaser1013Where Are You Spendin' Your Nights These DaysDavid Frizzell14Why Baby WhyCharley Pride31Why Do I Have to ChooseWillie Nelson745Why Do We Want (What We Know We Can't Have)Reba McEntire1415Wild Montana SkiesJohn Denver & Emmylou Harris410The Wind Beneath My WingsGary Morris76With YouCharly McClain1210Without YouT. G. Sheppard11You Can't Run from LoveEddie Rabbitt43You Don't Know LoveJanie Fricke104You Put the Beat in My HeartEddie Rabbitt19You Take Me for GrantedMerle Haggard1820You're a Hard Dog (To Keep Under the Porch)Gail Davies11You're Gonna Ruin My Bad ReputationRonnie McDowell25You're Out Doing What I'm Here Doing WithoutGene Watson15You're the First Time I've Thought About LeavingReba McEntire21You've Got a LoverRicky Skaggs56Your Love Shines ThroughMickey Gilley18Your Love's on the LineEarl Thomas Conley
Singles released by Canadian artists USCANSingleArtist—10Born AgainTerry Sumsion—19Come January (You're My June)Lou Natale—19Could It Be LoveKelita Haverland—5Country FeverDallas Harms—10Does Your Heart Still Belong to MeMarie Bottrell—8Dressed to KillGilles Godard—12Everybody Wants to Be SingleMarie Bottrell—7Face in the MirrorAlbert Hall—8Fooling with FireDallas Harms—1Honky Tonkin' (All Night Long)Dallas Harms—18I Need a LoverRonnie Prophet—12I've Already Left You (In My Mind)Mercey Brothers868If Tomorrow Never ComesRay Griff11A Little Good NewsAnne Murray—8Love HangoverCarroll Baker—18Loving You Needing YouEddie Eastman—8Memorized by HeartFamily Brown—18Never Did Like That TrainMurray McLauchlan—17One Less Lonely NightJessie Burns—17Only the Names Have Been ChangedMarie Bottrell—9Pressures of ProgressHarold MacIntyre—18Right or WrongCarroll Baker73Somebody's Always Saying GoodbyeAnne Murray—9Two Bits Worth of Hurtin'Paul Weber674We Really Got a Hold on LoveFamily Brown—14What's He Doin' at the DoorDavid Thompson—9Where Beauty Lives in MemoryPaul Weber
Top new album releases
US Album Artist Record label 16 20 Greatest Hits Kenny Rogers Liberty 9 All the People Are Talkin' John Anderson Warner Bros. 2 American Made The Oak Ridge Boys MCA 5 Burlap & Satin Dolly Parton RCA 5 Cage the Songbird Crystal Gayle Warner Bros. 8 Castles in the Sand David Allan Coe Columbia 10 Cheat the Night Deborah Allen RCA 1 The Closer You Get... Alabama RCA 23 Crystal Gayle's Greatest Hits Crystal Gayle Columbia 25 A Decade of Hits Charlie Daniels Epic 1 Deliver The Oak Ridge Boys MCA 22 Dirty Looks Juice Newton Capitol 1 Don't Cheat in Our Hometown Ricky Skaggs Epic 9 Don't Let Our Dreams Die Young Tom Jones Mercury 3 Don't Make It Easy for Me Earl Thomas Conley RCA 20 Dream Baby Lacy J. Dalton Columbia 10 Exile Exile Epic 1 Eyes That See in the Dark Kenny Rogers RCA 20 Fool for Your Love Mickey Gilley Epic 22 Greatest Hits Vol. II Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers Columbia 4 Greatest Hits Vol. II Eddie Rabbitt Warner Bros. 17 Hangin' Up My Heart Sissy Spacek Atlantic 15 Hey Bartender Johnny Lee Warner Bros. 17 If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right) Vern Gosdinal Compleat 9 In My Eyes John Conlee MCA 10 It's Only Rock + Roll Waylon Jennings RCA 17 John Conlee's Greatest Hits John Conlee MCA 2 Keyed Up Ronnie Milsap RCA 9 A Little Good News Anne Murray Capitol 10 Love Lies Janie Fricke Columbia 16 The Man in the Mirror Jim Glaser Noble Vision 3 Man of Steel Hank Williams Jr. Warner Bros./Curb 16 Movin' Train The Kendalls Mercury 13 New Looks B. J. Thomas Cleveland Int'l. 20 Night Games Charley Pride RCA 22 Old Familiar Feeling The Whites Warner Bros./Curb 24 Our Best to You David Frizzell & Shelly West Warner Bros./Viva 1 Pancho & Lefty Merle Haggard & Willie Nelson Epic 21 Paradise Charly McClain Epic 23 Personally Ronnie McDowell Epic 1 Right or Wrong George Strait MCA 7 Shine On George Jones Epic 17 Slow Burn T. G. Sheppard Warner Bros./Curb 7 Snapshot Sylvia RCA 25 Some Memories Just Won't Die Marty Robbins Columbia 3 Somebody's Gonna Love You Lee Greenwood MCA 16 Sometimes I Get Lucky Gene Watson MCA 5 Spun Gold Barbara Mandrell MCA 7 Strong Stuff Hank Williams, Jr. Elektra/Curb 5 T. G. Sheppard's Greatest Hits T. G. Sheppard Warner Bros./Curb 3 Take It to the Limit Willie Nelson & Waylon Jennings Columbia 8 That's the Way Love Goes Merle Haggard Epic 10 Today The Statler Brothers Mercury 4 Tougher Than Leather Willie Nelson Columbia 12 Waylon and Company Waylon Jennings RCA 3 We've Got Tonight Kenny Rogers Liberty 6 West by West Shelly West Warner Bros./Viva 22 White Shoes Emmylou Harris Warner Bros. 6 Why Lady Why Gary Morris Warner Bros. 3 Without a Song Willie Nelson Columbia 6 The Woman in Me Charly McClain Epic 8 Wynonna & Naomi The Judds RCA/Curb 12 Yellow Moon Don Williams MCA 24 You've Really Got a Hold on Me Mickey Gilley Epic
Other top albums {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! US ! Album ! Artist ! Record label |- | align="center"| 34 | After All This Time | Mel Tillis | MCA |- | align="center"| 61 | All-American Cowboys | Various Artists | Kat Family |- | align="center"| 41 | All-American Redneck | Randy Howard | Warner Bros. |- | align="center"| 35 | All Time Heart Touching Favorites | Roger Whittaker | Main Street |- | align="center"| 61 | Back | Lynn Anderson | Permian |- | align="center"| 36 | Behind the Scene | Reba McEntire | Mercury |- | align="center"| 48 | Better Days | Guy Clark | Warner Bros. |- | align="center"| 61 | Bill Monroe and Friends | Bill Monroe | MCA |- | align="center"| 57 | Classic Conway | Conway Twitty | MCA |- | align="center"| 70 | Classic Country | Albert Coleman's Atlanta Pops | Epic |- | align="center"| 30 | Close Up | Louise Mandrell | RCA |- | align="center"| 56 | Country Boy's Heart | Ronnie McDowell